Haptic feedback remote control systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Haptic feedback remote control systems and methods are provided. A method for providing haptic feedback to a user of a haptic feedback remote control device includes receiving, by a receiving device, an electronic command issued from the haptic feedback remote control device. The receiving device transmits a haptic feedback command to the haptic feedback remote control device. Based on the received haptic feedback command, the haptic feedback remote control activates a haptic feedback device, within the haptic feedback remote control, to provide a haptic feedback effect to a user of the haptic feedback remote control device.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

This disclosure generally relates to haptic feedback remote controlsystems and methods and, more particularly, to systems and methods forindicating a message or condition to a user through the use of hapticfeedback effects.

Description of the Related Art

Remote control devices are often provided with a wide variety ofelectronic devices, such as televisions, audio receivers, DVD playersand the like, in order to remotely control the operation of theassociated electronic device. In the case of cable, satellite, orOver-the-Top (OTT) television, a set top box or other receiving deviceis often included which provides programming for display on a connectedtelevision or other display device. A user may control the set top boxby use of an associated remote control device. Such control may include,for example, selecting a program to be displayed on the television,changing configurable settings for the set top box or connected devices,controlling DVR or audio content, and so on.

While conventional remote control devices may be suitable for a largeportion of cable, satellite, and OTT television viewers, for others,remote control devices may be confusing, difficult to use or otherwiseinsufficient to suitably interact with an associated set top box ortelevision display. Use of conventional remote control devices may beparticularly challenging for persons with limited or low vision, limitedor no hearing, or some combination of limited vision and hearing.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides systems, methods and devices thatameliorate the problems associated with conventional remote controldevices. In particular, haptic feedback may be used to provide, via auser's sense of touch, indications or messages about the user'sinteraction with a set top box or other receiving device. For example,if a user inputs a command on a haptic feedback remote control thatcannot be performed by the set top box, the remote control may providehaptic feedback that indicates the command cannot be performed. This isparticularly helpful for users having low or limited vision and/or lowor limited hearing. The use of haptic feedback enhances and facilitatesbetter, and more useful, interaction with a set top box, as the user mayreceive information relating to the interaction via the sense of touch.A variety of types of haptic feedback effects may be utilized by thehaptic feedback remote control, and each type of haptic feedback effectsmay be associated with different conditions or messages to be conveyedto the user.

In one embodiment, a method for providing haptic feedback to a user of ahaptic feedback remote control device is provided. The method includes:receiving, by a receiving device, an electronic command issued from thehaptic feedback remote control device; transmitting, by the receivingdevice, a haptic feedback command to the haptic feedback remote controldevice; and activating a haptic feedback device within the hapticfeedback remote control device, based on the haptic feedback command, toprovide a haptic feedback effect to a user of the haptic feedback remotecontrol device.

In another embodiment, a haptic feedback system is provided thatincludes a receiving device and a haptic feedback remote control device.The haptic feedback remote control device includes a haptic feedbackdevice, and the haptic feedback remote control device is configured to:transmit an electronic command to the receiving device, receive a hapticfeedback command from the receiving device, and activate, based on thereceived haptic feedback command, the haptic feedback device to providea haptic feedback effect to a user of the haptic feedback remote controldevice.

In yet another embodiment, a haptic feedback remote control device isprovided that includes haptic feedback logic, a haptic feedback deviceand a processor coupled to the haptic feedback logic and the hapticfeedback device. The haptic feedback remote control device is configuredto: transmit an electronic command to a receiving device, receive ahaptic feedback command from the receiving device, and activate, basedon the received haptic feedback command, the haptic feedback device toprovide a haptic feedback effect to a user of the haptic feedback remotecontrol device.

In another embodiment, a haptic feedback system is provided thatincludes a set top box, a haptic feedback remote control device, andhaptic feedback means, coupled with the haptic feedback remote controldevice, for providing a haptic feedback effect to a user of the hapticfeedback remote control device, based on a haptic feedback commandreceived from the set top box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify identical elementsor elements in the same group and class. The sizes and relativepositions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements are enlarged andpositioned to improve drawing legibility.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example haptic feedback systemin which embodiments of a haptic feedback remote control device may beimplemented.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating further details of the hapticfeedback remote control device and the receiving device, in accordancewith one or more embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example receiving device user interface which maybe utilized in connection with the haptic feedback system, in one ormore embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing hapticfeedback to a user of a haptic feedback remote control device, inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosedembodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognizethat embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. Well-knownstructures and methods associated with media content delivery have notbeen shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuringdescriptions of the preferred embodiments.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification andclaims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, suchas, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open,inclusive sense, for example, “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or“in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined inany suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” is generally employed in itssense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are forconvenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of theembodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example haptic feedback system102 in which embodiments of a haptic feedback remote control device(“haptic feedback remote”) 100 may be implemented. It is to beappreciated that FIG. 1 illustrates just one example of a hapticfeedback system 102 and that the various embodiments discussed hereinare not limited to such systems. The haptic feedback system 102 includesthe haptic feedback remote 100, a receiving device 118 and apresentation device 120.

The receiving device 118 receives programming (e.g., from audio, video,and/or data service providers, such as, but not limited to, televisionservice providers) and provides the content to a presentation device 120for viewing by one or more users 220.

Receiving device 118 interconnects to one or more communications mediaor sources (such as a cable head-end, satellite antenna, telephonecompany switch, Ethernet portal, off-air antenna, or the like) thatprovide the programming. The receiving device 118 commonly receives aplurality of programming by way of communications media or sources.Based upon selection by the user, the receiving device 118 processes andcommunicates the selected programming to one or more presentationdevices 120.

For convenience, the receiving device 118 may be interchangeablyreferred to as a “television converter,” “receiver,” “set-top box,”“television receiving device,” “television receiver,” “televisionrecording device,” “satellite set-top box,” “satellite receiver,” “cableset-top box,” “cable receiver,” “media player,” and/or “televisiontuner.” Accordingly, the receiving device 118 may be any suitableconverter device or electronic equipment that is operable to receiveprogramming. Additionally, the receiving device 118 may be anapplication, including any combination of software and/or hardware, suchas a client application with a video/audio player. For example, thereceiving device 118 may be an application in, or accessible by, asmartTV, internet TV, or the like. Further, the receiving device 118 mayitself include user interface devices, such as buttons or switches.

Examples of a presentation device 120 include, but are not limited to, atelevision (“TV”), a personal computer (“PC”), a sound system receiver,a digital video recorder (“DVR”), a compact disk (“CD”) device, gamesystem, mobile device, or the like. Presentation devices 120 include adisplay 124, one or more speakers 126, and/or other output devices tocommunicate video and/or audio content to a user. In someimplementations, one or more presentation devices 120 may reside in ornear a customer's premises and may be communicatively coupled, directlyor indirectly, to the receiving device 118. Indirect communicativecoupling may be accomplished through any wireless communication networkor protocol, including, for example, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi orthe like. Further, the receiving device 118 and the presentation device120 may be integrated into a single device. Such a single device mayhave the functionality of the receiving device 118 and the presentationdevice 120, described herein, or may even have additional functionality.

Interface between the receiving device 118 and a user 220 may beprovided by the haptic feedback remote 100. Haptic feedback remote 100may communicate with the receiving device 118 using any suitablewireless medium, such as infrared (“IR”), RF, or the like. Other devices(not shown) may also be communicatively coupled to the receiving device118 so as to provide user instructions. Non-limiting examples includegame device controllers, keyboards, pointing devices, and the like.

The haptic feedback remote 100 may be or include many possible physicalforms and/or features, including for example, a dongle worn on a lanyardor any other wearable device through which haptic feedback can be feltby a user, in addition to a traditional handheld remote.

In the illustrated example, the haptic feedback remote 100 includes anoptional display 202 and a user interface 114 including a plurality ofuser input elements, such as buttons 112. The user interface 114 isconfigured to receive user input for transmitting commands to thereceiving device 118. In one example, the user interface 114 includesmultiple keys or buttons 112 that the user 220 may press to initiate thecommands. Such buttons 112 may include numeric buttons for inputtingprogram channel numbers and other information, directional buttons(e.g., “up,” “down,” “left” and “right”) for menu item selection andother functions, and other special-purpose buttons (e.g., “volume up,”“channel down,” “pause,” “rewind,” “input” and so on). In anotherexample, the user interface 114 may include a touchpad, a mouse, ajoystick, a free-space position-sensing system, such as a gyroscope oraccelerometer, or similar positioning device to allow a user 220 to movea cursor or other indicator on a display, such as the presentationdevice 120. The buttons 112 provided on the haptic feedback remote 100may be physical keys or buttons, or may be any other user inputelements, such as graphically displayed icons which may be selectedutilizing a touch screen, mouse, or the like. Further, the hapticfeedback remote 100 may include a microphone for receiving user input inthe form of voice commands.

The haptic feedback remote 100 may further include various“accessibility” features for ease of use by people, for example, havinglow vision and/or limited or no hearing. Such accessibility features mayinclude indents or nodules included on buttons 112 for identifying thebuttons 112 by feel. Further, the haptic feedback remote 100 may includea haptic feedback enable/disable element (which may be, for example, abutton 112, a sliding toggle, touch tap or any other such user interfaceelement) which puts the haptic feedback remote 100 into a hapticfeedback mode. That is, the haptic feedback remote 100 may operate in a“normal” or non-haptic feedback mode, or alternatively, the hapticfeedback remote 100 may be put into a haptic feedback mode through useof a haptic feedback mode button 112. Additionally, the haptic feedbackremote 100 may be put into a haptic feedback mode automatically undercertain conditions. For example, if the receiving device 118 receivesuser input from the haptic feedback remote 100 which indicate userconfusion (e.g., multiple invalid commands, or the like), then thereceiving device 118 may cause the haptic feedback remote 100 toautomatically enter the haptic feedback mode, in which case hapticfeedback may be provided to the user via the haptic feedback remote 100.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating further details of the hapticfeedback remote control device 100 and the receiving device 118, inaccordance with one or more embodiments. It should be noted that thecomponents of the illustrated haptic feedback remote 100 and thereceiving device 118 may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware,or in some combination to achieve the capabilities described herein.

In the embodiment shown, haptic feedback remote 100 includes acomputer-readable memory (“memory”) 201, one or more processors 203 andone or more haptic feedback devices 204. The haptic feedback remote 100may further include other computer-readable media 205 (e.g., flashmemory, SIM card), network connections 206 and a display 202. Thedisplay 202 may be, for example, a bit-mapped LCD display havingsufficient resolution to display multiple lines of text and/or otheruser interface elements. The network connections 206 may include one ormore communication interfaces to various media devices, including butnot limited to radio frequency transceivers, infrared transceivers,Bluetooth (BT), ZigBee, Z-Wave, wireless Ethernet (“Wi-Fi”) interfaces,and the like.

The haptic feedback remote 100 communicates with receiving device 118,and may further communicate with the presentation device 120, eitherdirectly or indirectly, for example, through the receiving device 118.

Haptic feedback logic 210 may reside in memory 201. In otherembodiments, some portion of the contents, some of or all of thecomponents of the logic 210 may be stored on and/or transmitted over theother computer-readable media 205. The logic 210 preferably executes onone or more processors 203 and manages the provision of haptic feedbackby the haptic feedback remote 100, as described herein. Other code orprograms and potentially other data/information (not shown), may alsoreside in the memory 201, and preferably execute on one or moreprocessors 203. Of note, one or more of the components in FIG. 2 may notbe present in any specific implementation. For example, some embodimentsmay not provide other computer readable media 205. Further, the hapticfeedback logic 210 may be absent from the haptic feedback remote 100,with haptic feedback management being handled instead through hapticfeedback logic 230 provided in the receiving device 118. In such a case,the determination of whether to provide haptic feedback may be made bythe haptic feedback logic 230 of the receiving device 118, which in turnmay send a command to the haptic feedback remote 100 to provide hapticfeedback (i.e., through the haptic feedback device 204) to the user 220.

The haptic feedback logic 210 performs the haptic feedback functions ofthe haptic feedback remote 100, as described in further detail below. Inparticular, the haptic feedback logic 210 determines whether hapticfeedback should be provided to a user 220 of the haptic feedback remote100, and the particular haptic feedback effect to be provided (e.g.,quantity, strength or intensity, duration, speed, rhythm of hapticfeedback). The haptic feedback logic 210 is accessible by the processor203, and the processor 203, upon determining a haptic feedback effect tobe provided to the user 220, controls the haptic feedback device 204 toprovide the determined haptic feedback effect.

In one or more embodiments, the haptic feedback logic 230 stored in thememory 221 of the receiving device 118 may perform the haptic feedbackfunctions described herein. For example, based on user inputs (e.g.,button pushes) to the haptic feedback remote 100, received by thereceiving device 118, the receiving device 118 may determine (e.g., bythe processor 213 in communication with the haptic feedback logic 230)that a haptic feedback effect of a particular type should be provided tothe user 220 of the haptic feedback remote 100. The receiving device 118may thus transmit a haptic feedback command signal to the hapticfeedback remote 100, instructing the haptic feedback remote 100 toprovide the determined haptic feedback effect (e.g., via the hapticfeedback device 204) to the user 220.

In some embodiments, some or all of the components/portions of thehaptic feedback logic 210, 230 may be implemented or provided in othermanners, such as at least partially in firmware and/or hardware,including, but not limited to one or more application-specificintegrated circuits (“ASICs”), standard integrated circuits, controllers(e.g., by executing appropriate instructions, and includingmicrocontrollers and/or embedded controllers), field-programmable gatearrays (“FPGAs”), complex programmable logic devices (“CPLDs”), and thelike. Some or all of the system components and/or data structures mayalso be stored as contents (e.g., as executable or othermachine-readable software instructions or structured data) on acomputer-readable medium (e.g., as a hard disk; a memory; a computernetwork or cellular wireless network or other data transmission medium;or a portable media article to be read by an appropriate drive or via anappropriate connection, such as a DVD or flash memory device) so as toenable or configure the computer-readable medium and/or one or moreassociated computing systems or devices to execute or otherwise use orprovide the contents to perform at least some of the describedtechniques. Some or all of the system components and data structures mayalso be stored as data signals (e.g., by being encoded as part of acarrier wave or included as part of an analog or digital propagatedsignal) on a variety of computer-readable transmission mediums, whichare then transmitted, including across wireless-based andwired/cable-based mediums, and may take a variety of forms (e.g., aspart of a single or multiplexed analog signal, or as multiple discretedigital packets or frames). Such computer program products may also takeother forms in other embodiments. Accordingly, embodiments of thisdisclosure may be practiced with other computer system configurations.

The haptic feedback device 204 may be any device operable to provide ahaptic feedback effect (such as, for example, a vibration effect) to auser 220 of the haptic feedback remote 100. That is, the haptic feedbackdevice 204 may be any device which provides forces, vibrations ormotions to the haptic feedback remote 100 that can be sensed by a user220 (e.g., as tactile haptic feedback). In one embodiment, the hapticfeedback device 204 includes a vibration element, which providesvibrational haptic feedback effects. The haptic feedback effects may beprovided generally to the haptic feedback remote 100, or may be providedspecifically at particular portions of the haptic feedback remote 100.For example, a plurality of haptic feedback devices 204 may be includedin the haptic feedback remote 100, with each of the haptic feedbackdevices 204 being operable to provide haptic feedback effects to aparticular portion of the haptic feedback remote 100 (e.g., vibrationsprovided to particular buttons 112; vibrations provided to particularareas (e.g., top, bottom, left, right) of the haptic feedback remote100).

The features of the haptic feedback remote 100 can be combined withother accessibility features, such as textual bumps or nodules on thebuttons 112, audio features for providing audible feedback to a user(e.g., an audible tone or buzz), visual feedback indicators (e.g.,blinking lights) or the like.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example receiving device user interface 302 whichmay be utilized in connection with the haptic feedback system 102, inone or more embodiments. The receiving device 118 may be, for example, aset-top box that provides the user interface 302 for display on thepresentation device 120. The receiving device user interface 302 mayinclude any conventional features commonly found in set-top boxes (e.g.,for satellite or cable television systems), including, for example,program guides or menus, settings screens, help menus, on-demandprogramming access, DVR capabilities, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3,the user interface 302 may include a program guide screen that includesa schedule of programming, listed by titles and time of broadcast. Auser may interact with the user interface 302 through use of the hapticfeedback remote 100. For example, a user may scroll through the variousprogramming channels, times of broadcast and the like through use of thehaptic feedback remote 100. It should be readily appreciated that theuser interface 302 may include a variety of menus, sub-menus, pop-upmessage windows or boxes, or the like, and further may at times displaymessages to a user which may require some interaction or input on thepart of the user (e.g., “Are you sure you want to delete this recordedprogram? Please select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’”).

In one or more embodiments, the user interface 302 may include a help ortutorial feature, which may include video and audio (e.g., provided viathe presentation device 120) explaining how to use the haptic feedback,what different types of haptic feedback indicate, and so on. The hapticfeedback help or tutorial feature may be launched by navigating to ahelp menu via the user interface 302, or alternatively, the help ortutorial feature may be automatically launched, and displayed on thepresentation device 120, if the receiving device 118 detects that theuser is having trouble using the haptic feedback remote 100 (e.g.,multiple invalid inputs, or the like). Additionally, the haptic feedbackhelp or tutorial feature may be launched by via a ‘haptic feedback help’user input element, such as a button 112.

Haptic feedback effects may be provided by the haptic feedback remote100 to indicate a variety of conditions. For example, in someembodiments, haptic feedback effects may be provided to indicate thatthe user has navigated to or reached a limiting edge of the receivingdevice user interface 302 (e.g., top, bottom, and side edges of the userinterface 302) and that further commands received from the hapticfeedback remote 100 (e.g., by pressing “up,” “down,” “left” or “right”on the haptic feedback remote 100) cannot be performed by the receivingdevice 118.

In some embodiments, haptic feedback effects may be provided to indicateselection and/or deselection of an item provided by the receiving deviceuser interface 302 and displayed on the presentation device 120. Forexample, the user interface 302 may, at times, provide various messagesto a user 220 that require user input. Radio buttons and/or check boxfeatures may be provided in such messages, and the user 220 may utilizethe haptic feedback remote 100 to make a desired selection (such as, forexample, indicating whether certain settings should be enabled ordisabled) using the radio buttons and/or check box features.

In some embodiments, haptic feedback effects may be provided todistinguish, to the user 220, when a request for textual input (e.g.,via user input into a text field) is needed, as opposed to input via acheck box selection. The haptic feedback effects may distinguish suchrequests for different type of inputs by, for example, providing aparticular type of haptic feedback (e.g., a particular quantity ofvibrational pulses, strength or intensity of vibration, speed ofvibration and/or rhythm of vibrations) associated with each of thedifferent types of input that may be requested.

Similarly, in some embodiments, haptic feedback effects may be providedto indicate, or distinguish between, state changes of the hapticfeedback remote 100 (e.g., turning the haptic feedback remote 100on/off, indicating entry of a sleep mode, indicating that a softwareupdate is occurring, etc.).

In some embodiments, haptic feedback effects may be provided to indicateconfirmation of a user's selection (e.g., confirm a selection of“cancel” or “back”) and/or to confirm that the selected actions havebeen taken or completed (e.g., to confirm that a selection has beencanceled, or to confirm that the user interface 302 has navigated “back”to a previous screen).

In some embodiments, haptic feedback effects may be provided when thereceiving device 118 switches between display or presentation modes(e.g., when adjusting screen dimension settings, or switching to quarterscreen (PIP) or full screen modes).

In some embodiments, haptic feedback effects may be provided to indicatethat a dialog or popup message provided by the receiving device userinterface 302 needs a response. For example, a message may be providedthrough the receiving device user interface 302 requesting user input inthe form of a selection from among “yes,” “no” or “cancel” options. Insuch a case, haptic feedback effects may be provided to indicate that aselection is required, and further may be provided to indicate a currenthighlighted choice from among the options (e.g., a single vibrationpulse indicating “yes” is highlighted; two vibration pulses indicating“no” is highlighted; three vibration pulses indicating “cancel” ishighlighted). Additionally, haptic feedback effects may be provided toconfirm that a selection from among the options has been made.

It should be readily understood that haptic feedback effects may beprovided to indicate numerous and varied possible conditions to a user220 of the haptic feedback remote 100. For example, haptic feedbackeffects may be provided to indicate acknowledgement, by the receivingdevice 118, of any command issued from the haptic feedback remote 100.That is, every press of a button 112 on the haptic feedback remote 100,once received and registered as a button-press by the receiving device118, may cause one or more haptic feedback effects to be provided, thusindicating to the user 220 that the button-press has been received bythe receiving device 118. Further, the receiving device 118 may includenumerous and varied functions (e.g., TV guide functions; settings; helpfunctions; DVR functions; etc.), each of which may be associated withone or more haptic feedback effects to be provided to a user 220 of thehaptic feedback remote 100.

The haptic feedback effects provided through the haptic feedback remote100 may be thought of as a form of communication, or language, which maybe used to guide or otherwise help users of the receiving device 118. Assuch, various forms of haptic feedback may be utilized to indicate avariety of conditions to users.

A wide variety of types or styles of haptic feedback effects (e.g., thetypes or styles of vibration effects) may be utilized by the hapticfeedback remote 100, in order to effectively communicate to the user avariety of conditions or messages, as described above. For example, aquantity of vibrational pulses may be utilized to communicate a messageor condition to a user (e.g., one quick pulse means X, two quick pulsesmean Y, three quick pulses mean Z, etc.).

Various strengths or intensities of vibration may be utilized toindicate various conditions or to communicate a message to a user. Forexample, a weak pulse may be provided as haptic feedback to indicateconfirmation by the receiving device 118 of a received, valid commandfrom the haptic feedback remote 100 (e.g., confirming the user hasselected a particular button or choice). Similarly, a strong pulse maybe provided to indicate to a user that the receiving device 118 receivedan invalid command from the haptic feedback remote 100 (e.g., a userinput that cannot be performed by the receiving device 118, an error orillogical selection, etc.).

Various speeds of vibration may be utilized to indicate variousconditions or messages. The haptic feedback remote 100 may providehaptic feedback having different speeds of vibration to indicate a rateof change caused by commands received from the user. For example, aslow, steady vibration pulse may be provided to indicate a received (andperformed) change of volume command or a page up/down command (e.g., thereceiving device 118 receives and performs a user input causing thevolume to turn up or down, or to display a page in a guide menu above orbelow the previous page). A fast vibration pulse may be provided toindicate the performance of an action caused by, for example, the userholding down a button (e.g., scrolling up or down through the guidemenu; holding down a volume up/down button; etc.).

The haptic feedback rhythm may further be varied to indicate variousconditions or messages. For example, three steady vibrational pulses ina row may indicate a first condition or message, whereas two quickvibrational pulses followed by a delayed third pulse may indicate adifferent condition or message. Each of the various haptic feedbackparameters (i.e., quantity, intensity, duration, speed and rhythm) maybe combined in various ways to provide for a wide range of communicationpossibilities through the haptic feedback remote 100. In someembodiments, the haptic feedback remote 100 may be configurable, suchthat users may set their own preferred types of haptic feedback effectsfor various conditions or messages.

The different types of haptic feedback effects which may be providedthrough the haptic feedback remote 100 may be stored, for example, in ahaptic feedback effects database accessible by the haptic feedback logic210 in the haptic feedback remote 100 and/or in a database accessible bythe haptic feedback logic 230 of the receiving device 118. As such, whena condition associated with a haptic feedback effect has been detected(e.g., by the receiving device 118), a type of haptic feedback effectassociated with that condition may be determined by referencing thehaptic feedback effects database. Accordingly, that particular type ofhaptic feedback effect may be provided by the haptic feedback device204.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method 400 for providing hapticfeedback to a user of a haptic feedback remote 100, in accordance withone or more embodiments. At block 402, the method commences. At block404, the receiving device 118 receives a user input via an interface 114of the haptic feedback remote 100. The user input may be provided to thereceiving device 118, for example, as a command to perform someoperation (e.g., turn up the volume, change a display setting, confirm aselection, etc.).

At block 406, it is determined whether the received input is associatedwith a haptic feedback condition. This determination may be made by thereceiving device 118, for example, by accessing the haptic feedbacklogic 230, which may include logic and/or a database for determiningwhether and to what extent (e.g., what type) haptic feedback should beprovided. If it is determined that the received input is not associatedwith a haptic feedback condition (i.e., a condition for which hapticfeedback should be provided), then the flow returns to block 402 andfurther user input may be received at block 404. In such a case, nohaptic feedback effects are provided by the haptic feedback remote 100.On the other hand, if it is determined at block 406 that the receivedinput is associated with a haptic feedback condition, then the flowcontinues to block 408.

At block 408, the type of haptic feedback effect associated with thehaptic feedback condition is determined, for example, by the receivingdevice 118. As discussed herein, a variety of types of haptic feedbackeffects may be provided to indicate a variety of conditions or messages.Depending on the determined haptic feedback condition (e.g., an errorstate, a confirmation of a selection, a scrolling speed, etc.), one of avariety of types of haptic feedback effects may be associated with thecondition (e.g., effects having various quantity, intensity, duration,speed and/or rhythm characteristics).

At block 410, a haptic feedback command is transmitted from thereceiving device 118 to the haptic feedback remote 100. The hapticfeedback command may include, for example, a particular type of hapticfeedback effect that should be provided on the haptic feedback remote100.

At block 412, the haptic feedback device 204 of the haptic feedbackremote 100 is activated, thereby providing the haptic feedback effect toa user. At block 414, the method ends; however, the receiving device 118may be ready to begin the method again at any point in time, forexample, upon receiving of another user input (e.g., at block 404).

The above description of illustrated embodiments, including what isdescribed in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limitthe embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Although specificembodiments of and examples are described herein for illustrativepurposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as will be recognized bythose skilled in the relevant art.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to providefurther embodiments. These and other changes can be made to theembodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, inthe following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limitthe claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specificationand the claims, but should be construed to include all possibleembodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which suchclaims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by thedisclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for providing haptic feedback to auser of a haptic feedback remote control device, comprising: providing,by a receiving device, a user interface having a plurality of selectableelements for display on a presentation device; causing, by the receivingdevice, the haptic feedback remote control device to enter a hapticfeedback mode, wherein in the haptic feedback mode the haptic feedbackremote control device is operable to provide haptic feedback effects,wherein the causing the haptic feedback remote control device to enter ahaptic feedback mode comprises: causing the haptic feedback remotecontrol device to automatically enter the haptic feedback mode by thereceiving device sending a haptic feedback mode entry command to thehaptic feedback remote control device; receiving, by the receivingdevice, an electronic command issued from the haptic feedback remotecontrol device, the electronic command indicating a selection of one ofthe plurality of selectable elements; performing, by the receivingdevice, an action corresponding with the indicated selection;transmitting, by the receiving device, a haptic feedback command to thehaptic feedback remote control device in response to the performing theaction corresponding with the indicated selection; and causing, by thereceiving device, a haptic feedback device within the haptic feedbackremote control device, to be activated based on the haptic feedbackcommand, to provide a haptic feedback effect to a user of the hapticfeedback remote control device, the haptic feedback effect indicatingconfirmation of the performed action corresponding with the indicatedselection.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, bythe receiving device, whether the received electronic command indicatesa valid command to be performed by the receiving device, wherein, thetransmitting the haptic feedback command includes transmitting, by thereceiving device, the haptic feedback command to the haptic feedbackremote control device based on the receiving device determining whethera valid command is indicated.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining, by the receiving device, a type of hapticfeedback effect to be provided to the user, based on the receivedelectronic command.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the type of hapticfeedback effect to be provided is selected from among a plurality oftypes of haptic feedback effects, each of the types of haptic feedbackeffects being distinguishable from one another based on at least one of:quantity, intensity, duration, speed and rhythm of haptic feedback. 5.The method of claim 3, wherein the determining a type of haptic feedbackeffect to be provided includes determining a portion of the hapticfeedback remote control device to experience the haptic feedback effect.6. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback device includes avibration device.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing thehaptic feedback remote control device to enter a haptic feedback modecomprises: receiving, by the receiving device, a haptic feedback modeentry command signal from the haptic feedback remote control device. 8.A haptic feedback system, comprising: a receiving device configured toprovide a user interface having a plurality of selectable elements fordisplay on a presentation device; and a haptic feedback remote controldevice including a haptic feedback device, the haptic feedback remotecontrol device being configured to: transmit an electronic command tothe receiving device, the electronic command indicating a selection ofone of the plurality of selectable elements, receive a haptic feedbackcommand from the receiving device in response to the receiving deviceperforming an action corresponding with the indicated selection, andactivate, based on the received haptic feedback command, the hapticfeedback device to provide a haptic feedback effect to a user of thehaptic feedback remote control device, the haptic feedback effectindicating confirmation of the performed action corresponding with theindicated selection, wherein the receiving device is configured totransmit a haptic feedback mode entry command to the haptic feedbackremote control device, and the haptic feedback remote control device isconfigured to enter a haptic feedback mode upon receipt of the hapticfeedback mode entry command, wherein in the haptic feedback mode thehaptic feedback remote control device is operable to provide hapticfeedback effects.
 9. The haptic feedback system of claim 8, wherein thereceiving device is configured to: receive the transmitted electroniccommand indicating the selection of one of the plurality of selectableelements; determine whether the received electronic command indicates avalid command to be performed by the receiving device; and transmit ahaptic feedback command to the haptic feedback remote control devicebased on the receiving device determining whether a valid command isindicated.
 10. The haptic feedback system of claim 8, wherein thereceiving device is configured to: receive the transmitted electroniccommand; and determine a type of haptic feedback effect to be providedto the user, based on the received electronic command.
 11. The hapticfeedback system of claim 10, wherein the type of haptic feedback effectto be provided is selected from among a plurality of types of hapticfeedback effects, each of the types of haptic feedback effects beingdistinguishable from one another based on at least one of: quantity,intensity, duration, speed and rhythm of haptic feedback.
 12. The hapticfeedback system of claim 10, wherein the receiving device is furtherconfigured to determine a portion of the haptic feedback remote controldevice to experience the haptic feedback effect.
 13. The haptic feedbacksystem of claim 8, wherein the haptic feedback device includes avibration device.
 14. The haptic feedback system of claim 8, wherein thehaptic feedback remote control device includes a haptic feedback modeenable/disable input element, the haptic feedback mode enable/disableinput element being operable to selectively enter the haptic feedbackremote control device into a haptic feedback mode, wherein in the hapticfeedback mode the haptic feedback remote control device is operable toprovide haptic feedback effects.
 15. A haptic feedback remote controldevice, comprising: haptic feedback logic; a haptic feedback device; anda processor coupled to the haptic feedback logic and the haptic feedbackdevice, the haptic feedback remote control device being configured to:receive a haptic feedback mode entry command from a receiving device,wherein the receiving the haptic feedback mode entry command from thereceiving device causes the haptic feedback remote control device toautomatically enter the haptic feedback mode by the receiving device,wherein in the haptic feedback mode the haptic feedback remote controldevice is operable to provide haptic feedback effects; transmit anelectronic command to the receiving device, the electronic commandindicating a selection of one of a plurality of selectable elements of auser interface, provided by the receiving device, and having a pluralityof selectable elements for display on a presentation device, receive ahaptic feedback command from the receiving device in response to thereceiving device performing an action corresponding with the indicatedselection, and activate, based on the received haptic feedback command,the haptic feedback device to provide a haptic feedback effect to a userof the haptic feedback remote control device, the haptic feedback effectindicating confirmation of the performed action corresponding with theindicated selection.
 16. The haptic feedback remote control device ofclaim 15, further comprising: a haptic feedback mode enable/disableinput element, the haptic feedback mode enable/disable input elementbeing operable to selectively enter the haptic feedback remote controldevice into the haptic feedback mode.
 17. A haptic feedback system,comprising: a receiving device configured to provide a user interfacehaving a plurality of selectable elements for display on a presentationdevice; a haptic feedback remote control device configured to transmitan electronic command to the receiving device, the electronic commandindicating a selection of one of the plurality of selectable elements;and haptic feedback means, coupled with the haptic feedback remotecontrol device, for providing a haptic feedback effect to a user of thehaptic feedback remote control device, based on a haptic feedbackcommand received from the receiving device in response to the receivingdevice performing an action corresponding with the indicated selection,the haptic feedback effect indicating confirmation of the performedaction corresponding with the indicated selection, wherein the receivingdevice is configured to transmit a haptic feedback mode entry command tothe haptic feedback remote control device, and the haptic feedbackremote control device is configured to enter a haptic feedback mode uponreceipt of the haptic feedback mode entry command, wherein in the hapticfeedback mode the haptic feedback remote control device is operable toprovide haptic feedback effects.